1. Field
The present specification generally relates to methods for separating strengthened glass substrates and, more particularly, to methods for laser-separating strengthened glass substrates without the application of a mechanical force.
2. Technical Background
Thin glass substrates have a variety of applications in consumer electronic devices, as well as other fields. For example, glass substrates may be used as cover sheets for LCD and LED displays incorporated in mobile telephones, display devices such as televisions and computer monitors, and various other electronic devices. Cover sheets used in such devices may be formed by sectioning or separating a large glass substrate into a plurality of smaller glass substrates using various laser cutting techniques. For example, glass substrates may be separated by scribe-and-break techniques. However, when the scribe-and-break techniques are utilized to separate strengthened glass substrates such as ion-exchanged glass, uncontrollable full-body separation rather than the formation of a scribe line may occur. The uncontrolled separation generally leads to poor edge characteristics compared to the scribe-and-break process.
Moreover, the reliability of such scribe-and-break processes is further compromised as the dimensions of the large mother strengthened glass substrate sheet increase because it may be difficult to precisely apply the needed mechanical force to break the sheets along the scribe line. Large sheets of strengthened glass substrates may be prone to shattering and/or the formation of uncontrolled cracks during both handling and the breaking process.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative methods for separating strengthened glass substrates.